1. Field of Invention:
This invention relates generally to household and other hand-held implements which to be used effectively must be securely grasped by the user, and more particularly to a universal handle applicable to such implements to ergonomically render them usable by individuals who, because of physical or other disabilities have difficulty in firmly grasping a conventional implement handle.
2. Status of Prior Art:
Human factors engineering or ergonomics is an applied science that deals with the interaction between machines or tools and their users, taking into the account the capabilities or limitations of these individuals. It seeks to insure that the nature of the tool or machine is such that is effectively matched to the physical and cognitive abilities of the user to manipulate it.
Human factors engineering comes into play in the design of cockpits, control handles, seats and other objects which must be accommodated by the size, strength and shape of the user. Thus in designing the handle for a tea kettle, the designer must bear in mind that when the kettle is put to use, it will contain boiling water, and it is important, therefore, that the configuration of the handle and the material of which it is made be such as not only to afford a firm grip, but that it also thermally insulate the hand of the user from the kettle.
While typical household implements such as ladles, potato peelers, bottle openers and cheese knives have handles of metal, plastic or wood, little attention has heretofore been paid to human factors engineering; for whether in flat or round form, or in any other configuration, these handles are normally not difficult to grasp when the user is reasonably strong and his hands are free of impairment. Hence in the past, far greater attention has been paid to the ornamental or aesthetic features of handle design than to its ergonomic aspects.
But in the modern world in which senior citizens represent a substantial portion of the adult population, one is faced with many users of household or other hand-held implements who are advanced in years or physically weak, or who suffer from an arthritic or other condition that makes the simple act of clenching the fingers to form a tight fist difficult and painful. And should the user who has difficulty in forming a fist grasp an implement handle but fail to grip it securely, then the implement can slip from his hand, and in some cases this may have serious consequences.